Counting gains of Abuja’s land swap policy

But it wasn’t long after the minister settled to his new job that it dawned on him the enormity of the task of developing Abuja’s` infrastructure. As other Nigerians trooped into the city in their thousands, demand for basic amenities like road networks, water supply, electricity and other infrastructure rose geometrically, while the supply of […]

But it wasn’t long after the minister settled to his new job that it dawned on him the enormity of the task of developing Abuja’s` infrastructure. As other Nigerians trooped into the city in their thousands, demand for basic amenities like road networks, water supply, electricity and other infrastructure rose geometrically, while the supply of revenue for these projects remained static with the usual budgetary allocation and other vague sources of funds like the internally generated revenue.
Added to the accentuating demand for infrastructure was also the resettling of the original inhabitants of the city otherwise known as Abuja Landlords, which required hundreds of billions of naira. These pitfalls put together meant that the dream by the minister to actually take Abuja anywhere near one of the best 20 cities in the world as he envisaged, would once again remain a pipe dream; just as was the case with his predecessors. It became clear to the minister that he needed to think outside of the box if he wanted to record any tangible achievement.
Four years into his administration as FCT minister, opinions still remain divided over what he has really been able to achieve. But one certainly cannot take away the fact that the minister has been able to bring to fore some innovations like the land swap policy that pundits are now hailing as the magic wand that has the potential to actually unlock Abuja’s development.
In the reasoning of the minister, efforts to develop Abuja have not been so pleasant because previous administrations did not give infrastructural development the desired attention. As it were, previous ministers were allocating plots of land to Nigerians without due consideration for infrastructure and this meant that the allottees merely kept these land titles in their briefcases unsure of what to do with them. Of course, the absence of infrastructure did not also help matters as you do not expect one to go and develop a plot of land in a forest somewhere without consideration for access road, security, electricity and water supply.
To bridge this divide therefore, the minister came up with the idea to drive the economy in partnership with the private sector through the innovative land swap policy which is the first of its kind in this clime. The land swap model is a process whereby investors with the financial and technical capacity are coming onboard to invest in infrastructural development; where you take a district like Maitama or Asokoro, and then you give to the investor; then the investor provides both the primary, secondary and tertiary infrastructure within those districts, and then take land in return as a substitute to the money invested.
Under the land swap model, the land as a resource is being exchanged with the investments put in place in certain infrastructure in a given district. The investors are going to develop these districts in line with the master-plan and in line with the model of other districts developed. This is being done with all the embedded facilities like sewage water underground, electrical dot, telecom dot, street lights, everything will be embedded underground not on the surface level.
As guiding principle, the Abuja master-plan is used under this model to ensure that the minister and other private investors stick to the dream of Abuja’s founding fathers. So far, the minister has succeeded in introducing this model in such new districts of Katampe, Jahi, Wuye, Maitama extension, Goodluck District and Kagini. These six districts are currently witnessing unprecedented development and transformation which has never happened before in the Federal Capital Territory, where a minister is simultaneously developing six districts.
 As the minister stated recently, this approach to infrastructural development is expected to attract foreign direct investments to the tune of N3.2 trillion, which is quite commendable, being the first of its kind in the entire West African region.  
Akilu wrote from Durumi II District, Abuja